Car-truck



(No ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. I W. S. G. BAKER.

GAR TRUCK.

Patented Jan. 21, 1896.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

. S. G. BAKER.

GAR TRUGK. N0. 553,Z98.

Patented Jan. 21, 1896.

UN TED ST TES PATENT OFFI E,

WILLIAM s. c. BAKER, or BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

CAR- TRUCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 553,298, dated January 21, 1896.

Application filed October 7, 1895.

7 T0 aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. G. BAKER, a citizen of the United'Sta-tes of America, residing at Baltimore, (Fulton J unction,) in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Trucks, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention more especially relates to trucks in which a bolster is mounted on the truck-frame between the wheels and is pivotally connected at its center with the car-body. This class of trucks, commonly called center-bearing trucks, has long been used on steam-railway cars, but is now to some extent being used on electric cars, their use being demanded owing to the fact that long car-bodies now extensively used require eight instead of four wheels in order to properly support the weight not only of the carbody but also of the motor mechanism, and in order that the wheels may follow the track when turning a short curve a pivotal connection is made between the bolster and the carbody.

The object of my invention is to improve the class of trucks above mentioned by supporting the weight of the car-body as near to the axles as possible by springs which afford ease of; movement and freedom from jolting, &c.

A further object of my invention is to so arrange the bolster on the springs that a clear space for mounting the motor mechanism may be aiforded, and the bolster may be allowed to swing with the car-body relatively to the truck.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a truck equipped with my improvements. Fig. 2 shows a transverse section of the truck on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows, on an enlarged scale, a transverse section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. at shows, on an enlarged scale, a transverse section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 shows a transverse section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

The wheels, axles, and axle-boxes may be of any suitable construction.

The truck-frame is composed of two side frames A, similar in construction to each other and suitably cross-connected. Each side frame consists of two yokes a, one at each Serial No, 564,903. (No modelfi end of the truck, extending over the axle boxes and connected with each other by two wrought-metal plates B, theends of which are seated in recesses on the opposite sides of the inwardly-projecting arms a of the yokes a. The plates are securely bolted to the castings, as shown, and are arranged a suitable distance apart to allow a clear space for a purpose hereinafter specified.

The life-guards C are secured to the side frames in the usual way, and any suitable brake mechanism D may be employed.

Each yoke a is cast with two brackets 00, one above and the other below the sockets in which the plates B are secured. To these bracketsare hinged links (I, which are in turn pivotally connected with the ends of semielliptical leaf-springs E, one above and the other below the plates B of the side frame, on each side of the truck. The springs on each side are rigidly connected together at their center by an upright plate F, by means of suitable fastening devices f. The plate F is free to move vertically between the plates B but is prevented from twisting, and endwise movement is prevented by means of blocks G, arranged at opposite ends of the plate F and secured to the plates B by bolts 9. These blocks have flanges g at their upper edges that rest on the top of the plates B.

The bolster H is connected by a centerbearing I of well-known construction to the car-body K, and the opposite ends of the bolster rest on the two upper springs E on opposite sides of the truck. I may either provide a rigid connection between the springs and the bolster, or I may provide a flexible one, to enable the bolster to swing, to provide an ease of movement, especially when passing curves. I prefer to construct and arrange the bolster, as shown in the drawings. As shown particularly in Fig. 3, the bolster is formed of upper and lower plates h, held apart by thimbles h and secured by the bolts 71 The ends of the plates at each end of the bolster are brought together and bolted or riveted in a seat Z in a casting L, which is suspended by links Z from a casting M, mounted on the springs. The casting M is connected with the devices f, which secure the upright plate F to the upper spring E. It is formed with a housing within which is arranged a coiled spring N,

resting in a holder at on the end of the: casting L and; taking the; end-thrust'of r-the swinging bolster H. The links Z which suspend the casting L are, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 5 5 pivotally connected with the bolt n, mounted on lugs formingpart of the casting. M. The. castings M on opposite sides of the bolster are connected rigidly by two plates 0, the ends of which are seated in recesses or sockets inathe;

to sides of the castings M, as indicated in Fig. 5. This rigid connection between the castings holds-the, springs-in propereposistion while enabling the bolster to, have the proper .endwise swinging movement.

I5 By these improvements, the bolster is elevated above-the plane of the axles and above the stop of the side frames; thus aifording a clear space for-the electric. motorsanchtheir supporting mechanism. i l have show nin- Eigs. l and 2 cross-bars P, l which -are designed to s upport 'the -ends i of t-he lqelectric l motors. The --opposite 2 ends of these motors may be supported; as is-usual,

by the axles. Eachcross-bar P isrpreferably 2 5 a flat-twistedbar, as shownpeach -e-ndwb'eing -preferably*secured -by a-Vertieal bolt p-to a block G. 'T-his'det'ailof constructionyhowever, isnot important. By employing two -l 1alf '"elliptical sprin gs,-one-above an dthe other below the side frameof the truck oneaclr side and-connecting theen-ds' ofzth-e springs-to=the side frames near the axles, I-am enabled-to take the s-train off fr-omzthe trucleframe at the centerand apply it neartheaxles with a re-- ducedamo-unt of leverage. "Thetwo springs divide thewe ight and afford an'ease of move- -ment to-th'e truckthat it would'not have if a single spring *wereused :s'ufficientto support theweight. 0 l claim-asmyinvention I 1. The combination with the wheels, ax-les, an daxle boxes" of .the side frames, the bolster above the side-frames,-two semi-elliptical -leaf- -springson each side of the truck arranged in 4 5 theesamevertical plane and connected together byt a vertically -m0vin g connection,

pivotal connections. betweenthe ends of the springs :andthe side frames near the axles.

3. The combination with the wheels, axles and axle boxes, of the side frames, each composed of yokes extending over the axle boxes andformed withthe linkesupporting lugs, a pair of plates having a space between them and secured at each end insockets in the yokes, a bolster above the side frames, semielliptical springs rigidly connected together on each side of the truck, and pivotal connections. between the ends of i the springs and the link-supporting lugs.

' 4:. The combination with the wheels, axles and axle boxes, of the side frames, each composed of yokes, and plates with aspace bevtween them as described, 'a'pair'of semi-elliptical-leaf springs one above and the other below theside frameon eachside of the truck, a plateextendin'g- -betweeri the plates--- of the side-frame: and adapted to move: vertically therein,- connections between-the 11191361.- and lower'ends of=this plate and the semi-ellipti- -cal=spring's; blockssecure'd between the plates --on' opposite sides of the verticalspring-connecting. plate and abolstei supported by the .springs on. opposite sides of: @the truck, substanti ally-as described.

5 The combination with the wheels, ax-les and axle boxes 'of the' side framesyth-esemiellipticalsprings supported onthe side 'frames betweenthe wheels, the-castin gs mounted on thes'pri-ngs abovethe planeof the-side frames and connected r'igidly together as described, and the bolster pivotally-conn ected' with the car body and suspended from I theeastin gs by '-swi'ng in'g'links,- substantially asdescribed.

6; 'The combination withthe 'wheels, axles and axleboxes, of the side frames, the semi- I 'ellipticalspringssupported on the side-frames between the wheels; the castings mounted on the-sprin gs above the plane of the side frames, *a'ndconnected rigidly together, as described, the bolsterpivotally connected with the car body and suspended from the castings by swinging-links and the springs arranged in housings ofthe castin gs and bearingagainst zthe ends 0f the bolster, substantiallyns described.

In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto subscribed my name.

1 XVILLIAM e; BAKER.

Witnesses I DANIEI; W. POWELL,

A E. BAKER. 

